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Siege of Calais (1346-47)
The Siege of Calais occurred from 4 September 1346 to 3 August 1347 during the Hundred Years' War when the army of King Edward III of England laid siege to the major French city of Calais. The English deployed 20 primitive cannon against the walls of Calais, but these proved ineffective. The city was eventually starved into submission and became an English possession. Background Following his great victory over King Philip VI of France at the Battle of Crecy, King Edward III of England and his army resumed its march north from Poissy and halted before the northern French stronghold of Calais. As soon as Edward arrived before Calais, he began to make full preparations for a regular siege, building houses of heavy planks between the river and the bridge of Nieuley. Edward was determined to besiege Calais through the winter and summer, and he built a siege town with haberdashers, butchers' shops, and even cloth and bread stalls (stocked with food brought over from England and looted from as far as Saint-Omer and Boulogne). The King made no assault on the city, and he resolved to starve the city out and gambled on King Philip VI's inactivity. Siege Start of the siege The commandant of Calais, Jean de Vienne, had the poorer people of the city (who had no stocks of provisions) leave the walls, preparing for a long siege. More than 1,700 men, women, and children from Calais attempted to pass through the English army, and Edward III provided a hearty meal for each of them and gave each of them two pence. Meanwhile, English morale rose after news arrived of a victory at the Battle of Neville's Cross. On 29 October, Queen Philippa of Hainault - who had supervised the victory over the Scots - arrived in France and reunited with her husband at his siege camp. The siege went on for almost a year, and the King of France posted several soldiers to the fortresses on the borders of Guines, Artois, and Boulogne and around Calais, as well as keeping so many Genoese, Normans, and other sailors at sea that the English foragers and raiders often ran into skirmishes with the French. There were also frequent clashes near the gates and moats of the town, and the English rarely succeeded in their raids. Edward proceeded to order the construction of various machines to harass the besieged, but the mariners Marant and Mestriel of Abbeville smuggled supplies into the city; many English were killed or drowned while attempting to stop them. Anglo-Flemish relations During the siege, Edward found time for diplomacy. The Flemish burghers to the east supported him, and, during the march form Normandy to Crecy, Flemish forces arrived south of Calais with the goal of eventually linking up with the English army. They fell back after failing to take Bethune, and they were further troubled by the ruling house's pro-French views. King Edward attempted to convince the Flemish to switch sides by offering his daughter Isabella as a bride to the 15-year-old Count of Flanders (whose father was killed at Crecy) instead of the pro-French suitor, the daughter of the Duke of Brabant. The Flemings kept their own Count prisoner, and they attempted to force him to marry Isabella. After he told his people that he would do as his nobles advised, the nobles released him and granted him limited freedom of movement, and he was followed everywhere by pro-English guards. He ultimately agreed to marry Isabella, and he met the King and Queen at Bergues. King Edward apologized for killing the Count's father at Crecy, pleasing the Count, and the Count agreed to be betrothed to Isabella; however, he remained pro-French at heart. In the very week that the Count was to marry Isabella, he escaped his guards and fled to Artois, where he was safe. He then fled to the court of King Philip, betraying King Edward. Nevertheless, the Flemish nobles continued to support Edward during his siege. Relief attempt In the summer of 1347, King Philip gathered an army to relieve Calais, which was being steadily reduced by famine. His easiest way of approach would have been from the east, but the Flemings refused to let him pass. He was forced to follow the same route as had taken him to Crecy, and he marched to the village of Sangatte, a few miles to the west of Calais. King Edward heard of the French army's approach, so he had all his ships brought in near the dunes bordering the sea and had then loaded with bombards, crossbowmen, longbowmen, siege catapults, and other long-range units which would intimidate the French. On the other approach to Calais, the Nieuley bridge, he posted his cousin the Earl of Derby with a large force to block the approach across the marshes. A force of 1,500 French soldiers from Tournai attempted to attach an English tower guarded by 32 archers, and they suffered heavy losses before massacring the archers and demolishing the tower. The French king sent forth the Lord of Beaujeu and the Lord of Saint-Venant to reconnoitre the best line of approach from Sangatte, but they reported that the King could not reach the English without heavy losses. The next morning, Philip sent the envoys Geoffroy de Charny, Eustache de Ribemont, Guy de Nesle, and the Lord of Beaujeu to the King of England, and they invited King Edward to choose a place to fight the French. Edward told the envoys to inform King Philip that he had every right to be where he had been for a year, and he had the envoys tell Philip that he had to find another way to relieve Calais. Philip was angered by this response, and neither king agreed to further terms proposed by two cardinals delegated by the Pope. The defenders of Calais, their provisions exhausted, were further demoralized when King Philip's army struck camp and marched off. The starving people of Calais - who could barely muster up the strength to stand - realized that their help had deserted them, and they sought to come to terms with England. Surrender of Calais Edward sent out Walter Manny and Lord Basset to meat with Jean de Vienne, who pleaded that the civilians be allowed to evacuate Calais in exchange for the city's surrender. The English envoys insisted that the defenders either die of starvation or agree to be at Edward's mercy, and Edward later sent Manny back to Vienne and demanded that six of the principal citizens come out with their heads and feet bare, halters around their necks, and the keys of the town and castle in their hands. Vienne agreed, and the richest citizen Eustache de Saint-Pierre reluctantly agreed to risk his life to save the city's citizens. He was followed by his friend Jean d'Aire, the wealthy Jacques de Wissant and his brother Pierre de Wissant, and two others. The burghers stripped to their shirts and breeches, placed halters around their necks in the marketplace, and took the keys in their hands. King Edward was infuriated at the sight of them, as the capture of Calais had cost him dearly, but his pregnant wife Philippa convinced him to (albeit reluctantly) spare the burghers. Edward then had the people of Calais expelled, as he wished to repopulate Calais with pure-blooded English. The people of Calais were devastated at their expulsion, and the majority went to the town of Saint-Omer; however, many were re-admitted after a few weeks, including Eustache de Saint-Pierre. Other expelled Calais residents were granted offices and rights by King Philip. Aftermath When King Edward returned to London, he sent 36 wealthy and responsible citizens with their families and 300 other men of lesser standing to Calais, and the King granted them great liberties and privileges that many became eager to settle in the new "Pale of Calais". Calais became an important strategic lodgement for the English for the remainder of the war and beyond, and it was not retaken by the French until 1558. Category:Sieges Category:Hundred Years' War